In a late-night shootout,dreaded criminal Nitu Dabodia along with two of his associates were killed off by a Delhi Police Special Cell team. Around 10 pm on Thursday,police were tipped off that Dabodia was planning to meet an associate near a prominent hotel in Vasant Kunj.

Police said when the Special Cell team spotted Dabodias vehicle,they signalled him to stop. However Dabodia and two of his associates in the vehicle fired at the police team.

Special Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) S N Shrivastava said,All the three criminals were armed. Our men were wearing bulletproof jackets. In the shootout,Dabodia and his associates were hit. We rushed them to hospital,where they were declared dead on arrival.

Late Thursday,senior police officers were still inspecting the encounter spot.

Police had been on Dabodias trail for several months. Daboida,involved in more than 50 cases,had a reward of Rs 7 lakh on his head. A Special Cell team along with the Punjab Police had nearly captured him a few months ago but he managed to escape.